Vineeth Sreenivasan defends Nivin Pauly against rape allegations, provides 'plenty of proof' for his innocence
Vineeth Sreenivasan, who directed Nivin Pauly in Varshangalkku Shesham, has provided a detailed timeline and photographic evidence to prove that the actor was with him during the time of the alleged incident.
Updated : September 05, 2024 05:32 PM ISTVineeth Sreenivasan, who directed Nivin Pauly in Varshangalkku Shesham, has provided a detailed timeline and photographic evidence to prove that the actor was with him during the time of the alleged incident.
Nivin Pauly with cast and crew of Varshangalkku Shesham
Malayalam actor Nivin Pauly has been named as one of six suspects in a rape case, with accusations of sexual assault during an alleged audition in Dubai on December 14. However, filmmaker-actor Vineeth Sreenivasan has publicly come to Nivin's defence, firmly stating that Nivin was with him on the day of the alleged incident, shooting for the film Varshangalkku Shesham.
Vineeth provided a detailed account of the events that took place on December 14, 2023, asserting that Nivin was on set with his film crew in Kochi. "On December 14, Nivin Pauly was with us. The crew assembled at Nucleus Mall around 7 AM, and Nivin joined us by 8 AM," he told Reporter Live. "We began shooting a scene with him by 8:30 AM, inside a theatre, with a large crowd present. This information can be easily verified."
The director explained that Nivin remained on set for multiple scenes, including a setup just outside the mall, where filming continued until the afternoon. "We shot there until around 3 PM before shifting to the Crown Plaza for more scenes. Nivin was also shooting for a web series called Pharma during this time, and he squeezed our shoot between that. I clearly remember because I was managing Nivin's dates personally," Vineeth explained.
He also confirmed that Nivin had been in Munnar for a photo shoot on December 1 and 2 and was involved in filming Varshangalkku Shesham from December 14 until the afternoon of December 15. According to Vineeth, the timeline of events proves that the allegations against Nivin are unfounded.
"You can easily verify the details from the timecodes on all the photos we took during that period," Vineeth noted, adding that he is certain of Nivin’s innocence. "There is no question about Nivin being falsely accused. I know for sure because he was with me when the alleged incident took place, and there is plenty of proof to show that."
The victim had alleged that Nivin and five others sexually assaulted her in a Dubai hotel between November and December last year.
In the wake of the allegations, Nivin held a press conference and he denied all allegations. He also expressed his determination to take all available legal remedies to clear his name and prove his innocence.